Food poisoning scare grips Guwahati after KFC report

GUWAHATI, December 7: The report of food poisoning in a KFC restaurant in Delhi has stirred up the hornets’ nest in Guwahati with people questioning the safety of food being served by the numerous restaurants, including roadside ones, in the city.

The question arose after food inspectors collecting food samples from the KFC Restaurant at Lachit Nagar in the city yesterday. The food inspectors reportedly said that if any poisoning substances are detected in the samples collected, they might take steps to close the restaurant.

Food poisoning, according to experts, is acute, often severe gastro–intestinal disorder characterized by vomiting and diarrhoea and caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, especially bacteria of the genus Salmonella, or the toxins they produce or poisoning caused by ingesting substances, such as certain mushrooms, that contain natural toxins.

The situation in Guwahati, according to allegations, is alarming. First, the exact number of restaurants in Guwahati is not known. What is, however, seen is that there is mushroom growth of restaurants in the city and the situation of most of them, from the hygienic point of view, is pathetic. 

Allegations galore that tomato sauce is manufactured in far–flung areas in the city, and generally stale materials like rotten yellow pumpkin, tomato and pepper etc., are used for the purpose. What, according to sources, even more serious is that such sauce is collected randomly by the restaurant owners in recycled bottles that are collected from the city by ragpickers. There are also allegations that the restaurant owners keep paying money to food inspectors regularly to keep their business running. If this is the situation food outside is not safe in Guwahati.

A KFC spokesperson, in a press release issued yesterday, said: “As a responsible brand, KFC is committed to following international standards and serving the highest quality products to all our customers across all our restaurants. The products served across our restaurants are sourced from best in class, state–of–the–art manufacturing facilities that are compliant with rigorous food safety standards and are audited regularly.”

“The recent news report on KFC rice being unsafe is a case of misinformation. We only use the natural colour (beta carotene) which is sourced from highly reputed international suppliers, in our Rizo rice meals,” the release said, and added: “The recent rice sample collected by FSSAI has also been analysed from an NABL accredited independent laboratory at the same time and it confirms that Tartrazine or any other synthetic colour is not present in the product. We are confident of our product quality and are working closely with the regulatory authorities in this matter who have assured that the sample is safe for consumption and no proceedings have been initiated against KFC.”

Antibiotic-resistant bacterium found in waterbodies, fish

Bacterium resistant to antibiotics was found in fish samples and aquatic environments of Kochi.

Research carried out by the Microbiology Fermentation and Biotechnology Division of Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi, reported the presence of Methicillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in fish and aquatic environments of Kochi. The bacterium might have reached the waterbodies through untreated hospital waste. The contaminated materials from hospitals, including untreated cotton and waste water, persons carrying the MRSA in their wounds, abscesses and sputum might have contributed to the spread of the bacterium, said K.V. Lalitha, Head of the Department.

Run-off from land, including hospital refuse, may be reaching the aqua farms and discharges from hospitals in coastal water bodies. Presence of pathogens would be less in deep seas, she said.

Pathogens were found in farmed fish and fish samples from the market. The presence of the pathogens was also found in mud, and water samples collected from the coastal waters. The study team consisting of Dr. Lalitha, V. Murugadas and Toms.C. Joseph had screened around 150 samples of fish, shellfish and water samples collected from different fish markets in Ernakulam district. The CIFT studies revealed that MRSA isolate from fish belonged to the Bay of Bengal clone, which was reported in many parts of India in hospital-associated cases. These pathogens are capable of infecting human beings. Mostly, the MRSA was resistant to many antibiotics commonly used for treatment, said a communication from the institute. C.N. Ravishankar, director of the institute, said the public needed to be aware of the situation. Fish handlers with open wounds, abrasions and abscess should take hygienic measures while handling fish, he said.

It would be difficult to control or contain infections in persons infected with MRSA and doctors are left with only few choices of antibiotics. Fishers and those working in the sector are mostly exposed to the risk as they could be infected through open wounds, Ms. Lalitha said.

Pathogens found in fish would be destroyed while cooking and may not pose risk to those consuming it. However, more studies need to be held, she said.

Bacterium might have reached the waterbodies through untreated hospital waste

Pathogens found in fish will be destroyed while cooking

Health ministry to spend Rs 1,750 cr on FSSAI, state regulatory system

The health and family welfare ministry recently issued a notice inviting suggestions on two schemes under the Food Safety Standards Regulations (FSSR), 2011, to strengthen food safety regulatory system of the country. They are the Central scheme for strengthening of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), for which Rs 850 crore was set, and the Central scheme for the strengthening of state regulatory system, for which the outlay was Rs 900 crore. 

The ministry stated that it was being done to ensure the effective enforcement of the FSSR. Further, the enforcement structure (both manpower and equipment) at the Centre and in the states and Union Territories (UT), need to be strengthened and upgraded. 

“The Central scheme for the strengthening of FSSAI with allocation of Rs 850 crore, and the scheme for the strengthening of the state food regulatory system, with an estimated cost of Rs 900 crore (excluding the states’ share), under the Centrally-sponsored scheme of the National Health Mission (NHM) of the health and family welfare ministry are proposed to be implemented during the residual period of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan,” said the ministry.

But sources added that it was partly because of the various litigations which were filed with the various courts over the years with respect to adulteration in food items and other regulatory issues, and partly because there wasn’t much information amongst the masses about the food safety and regulatory system in the country. Moreover, people’s participation has been poor.

With the Rs 850-crore scheme, the ministry aims to strengthen the FSSAI at the headquarters and in its regional or field offices, e-governance and food safety surveillance. It also plans to strengthen the central-level laboratories and establish the National Food Science and Risk Assessment Centre (NFSRAC). 

Under the Central scheme for states, the ministry wants to strengthen the food safety infrastructure at the state level, like the state laboratories, besides creating awareness, imparting training, capacity building and educational programmes under both the schemes.

FSSAI would be the implementing agency for these schemes, while funds to the states would be released after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed between the respective state government and FSSAI regarding the objectives, the timelines for completion of the activities, etc.

“The schemes also aim at strengthening the food testing laboratories, building manpower capacity of the states, organising training camps, creating awareness for the public and food business operators (FBO) and setting up a robust surveillance system, considered essential to effectively meet the aims of reducing food adulteration, and making available wholesome food to the consumers,” the ministry said.

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் ஆய்வு

பண்ருட்டி, டிச. 8:

அண்ணாகிராமம் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் கந்தசாமி, கடலூர் ரவிச்சந்திரன், புவனகிரி குணசேகரன், சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர் ரமேஷ் ஆகியோர் கொண்ட குழுவினர் சாத்திப்பட்டில் உள்ள தேனீர் கடைகள், ஓட்டல்கள், ரைஸ் மில்கள், முந்திரி பருப்பு பதப்படுத்தும் தொழிற் கூடங்கள் ஆகிய இடங்களில் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். இதில் மளிகை கடைகளில் இருந்த காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்கள், பாக்கெட்டுகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டு அழிக்கப்பட்டன.

மேலும் தமிழக அரசால் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை, உணவு பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்யக்கூடாது என்ற நோட்டீஸ் வழங்கப்பட்டன. மளிகை கடை ஒன்றில் உப்பு மாதிரி எடுத்து ஆய்வு கூடத்திற்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டது.